An apatite U–Pb thermal history map for the northern Gawler Craton, South Australia

Abstract

Apatite U–Pb thermochronology was applied to granitoid basement samples across the northern Gawler Craton to unravel the Proterozoic, post-orogenic, cooling history and to examine the role of major fault zones during cooling. Our observations indicate that cooling following the ∼2500 Ma Sleaford Orogeny and ∼1700 Ma Kimban Orogeny is restricted to the Christie and Wilgena Domains of the central northern Gawler Craton. The northern Gawler Craton mainly records post-Hiltaba Event (∼1590 Ma) U–Pb cooling ages. Cooling following the ∼1560 Ma Kararan Orogeny is preserved within the Coober Pedy Ridge, Nawa Domain and along major shear zones within the south-western Fowler Domain. The Nawa Domain s..